Freshwater and industry: facts and figures

摘要

The International Year of Freshwater, 2003, is now over. Work to increase access to safe drinking water and to improved sanitation nevertheless continues. These "Facts and Figures" do not include background for all of this work. They focus on the topic "freshwater and industry" - including provision of freshwater as industry (e.g. the water services and bottled water industries), water use by industry; the impact of industrial discharges on water resources, and some of the associated opportunities (and challenges) for industry. In any discussion of industry's role with respect to water, two key figures must be borne in mind: 1.1 billion people in the world do not have access to improved water supply, and 2.4 billion do not have adequate sanitation (Figures 1 and 2). Lack of water and sanitation on this scale jeopardizes human health and economic development. The international community, including industry, has pledged to halve the proportion of those who lack water and sanitation worldwide by 2015.